Lily's decision
by funkypopcorngirl
Summary: What if Lily had taken a different route on the first train ride, one that lead to her and Snape breaking their friendship earlier? How would that affect the future? ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1: The train ride

Chapter One: The train ride

"_Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, UK)._

Snape scowled. Lily giggled and the boy who had spoken smiled at her. The other boy was on the floor with laughter. Snape glared at both of them before turning to Lily.

"And you think that's funny?"

"It was though!" giggled Lily. "Lighten up, Severus. It's only a joke." The boy who spoke smiled so big Lily thought his face would burst.

"Be quiet, you don't know what you're on about. Slytherin is the _only _house anybody would want to be in!" Snape declared proudly.

"But Gryffindor sounds _fun_," protested Lily. "You make Slytherin sound like double Maths on a Monday!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Snape. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MUDBLOOD!"

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, but the next thing he knew the other boys in the carriage were holding him up against the door and Lily sat shocked in her seat. She knew what a Mudblood was, Severus had told her.

"NEVER say that again!" yelled Boy One, the one who had spoken.

"NEVER talk to her like that!" shouted Boy Two, the one who had been on the floor.

"Li-ly," choked Snape. "Help-me."

"Get out," said Boy One coldly.

"What?"

"You heard him," Lily cut in. "Get out. It's quite simple actually, or is that not something that your Slytherin loving brain can deal with?"

Snape gasped, then glowered, then stormed out of the compartment.

"Nice," said Boy Two. He held out his hand. "I'm Sirius Black, by the way."

Lily shook it. "Lily Evans. And you are?"

"James Potter," said Boy One happily and hugged Lily. "Gryffindor through and through."

"I'm gonna end up in Slytherin," groaned Sirius.

"We'll visit," said Lily cheerfully.

The door opened and a Prefect stood there. He was from Slytherin. "Severus Snape said you were beating him up," he drawled. "So I have to punish you."

"He called me a Mudblood," said Lily. The Prefect ignored her.

"So I'm going to report you to a Professor Slughorn and then you'll stay away from Severus Snape. Understood?"

"He called her a Mudblood!" said James angrily.

"I don't care!" replied the Prefect. "Just leave Slytherins' alone!" And he walked off.

"Well, he was rude," said Lily.

"That's Lucius Malfoy," Sirius told her. "Ignore him, he's an idiot."

"Um...Lily," said James.

"Yes?"

"When you said 'double Maths on a Monday'...um, what did you _mean_?" James asked awkwardly.

Lily laughed. "I mean _boring_. REALLY boring!"

A knock on the door brought them to attention. Standing outside was a boy with sandy coloured hair. "Can I sit with you?" he asked. "I mean, if that's OK and after you've got changed and everything..."

"Sure!" interrupted Lily brightly. "Of course. I'll just go the toilets and when I come back you boys better be changed!"

"Yes, Mum!" Sirius sighed in fake annoyance.

Lily laughed and grabbed her robes. The toilets were at the end of the corridor-right passed the Slytherin compartment. It had a big 'S' on the door and the Slytherin symbol. _Prats_, Lily thought to herself. They opened the door and spotted her.

"Oi, Mudblood," one called out as she passed. "How come you're up here? Shouldn't you be with the traitor and Potty? Or did they ditch you?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if they did!" laughed a small podgy boy. "Who wants to be friends with someone like that?"

They all roared with laughter. Lily ignored them.

"OI!" yelled the first one. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"Toilets."

"You dare speak to a Pureblood?" gasped Malfoy in horror. Lily glared at him. "Oh, she's angry! Look out everybody, the first year Mudblood is gonna do some magic! Maybe she'll produce sparks!" They all roared with laughter again.

Lily carried on walking. _Why is this compartment so long?_

"Keep to your own kind, Mudblood!" called Snape and they closed the door. A small tear trickled down Lily's cheek. _I hate Slytherins. _

***

Five minutes later, Lily was changed and back in her own compartment. The sandy haired boy was playing Exploding Snap with Sirius, who was covered in soot and _very _annoyed.

"Oh, hey, Lily," said James who was watching Sirius in amusement. "This is Remus Lupin. He's currently beating Sirius to a pulp, come watch."

"OK," said Lily.

"What's wrong?" asked Remus, looking up just as a pair of his cards exploded. The soot missed his face by millimetres.

"The Slytherins, they were just making fun of me and they said that I should, I should stick to my own kind and that I shouldn't speak to Purebloods and..." Lily collapsed into tears. James hugged her close and patted her back.

"It's OK, Lil," he said. "Just be grateful that even if you do end up in Slytherin, we'll be your friends."

"Promise?"

"Promise," said the three boys at the same time. Suddenly, a glow of golden light filled the compartment and disappeared.

"What just happened?" asked James.

"I think," said Remus in shock. "I think we just made an Unbreakable Vow."


	2. Chapter 2: Enter Peterexit Peter

Chapter Two: Enter Peter...and exit Peter

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing.  
Louey06-thanks for being the first to review!  
Last of the Trifecta-i will update as much as possible.  
merdarkandtwisty-thank you for the help. i didn't know about having the intention of making it, but think of it as accidental magic!**

Remus, it turned out, could beat anyone at Exploding Snap, including James, the best Exploding Snap player in the Potter household. As Remus won his twentieth game, James stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Lily as she scanned her Potions textbook, none of it making sense.

"To find the trolley. Oh and, Lily?"

"Yep."

"You may want to hold that the other way round."

Sheepishly, Lily turned her book round the other way and Sirius barked in laughter.

***

"I'm sorry, we are all out of Pumpkin Pasties," said the lady on the trolley to Peter Pettigrew.

"Oh man," he whined.

James came up behind him. "Ten Chocolate Frogs and six Pumpkin Pasties, please," he said.

The lady smiled and handed him the food. "There you are, dear."

"I thought you were out!" exclaimed Peter.

"Well, we are now," said the lady. "Here's your change. Have a nice ride. Goodbye." She went off.

"C-could I have one?" asked Peter.

"Maybe," said James. "Are you a Slytherin?"

"N-n-n-no," said Peter. "I hate Slytherins."

James frowned; there was something fishy about this boy. "Alright. Come back and sit with us."

He led the way and Peter followed.

_Step one of plan, complete,_ he thought as James took him back to his compartment. And sitting there was the Mudblood, that Evans girl. And Peter could tell by the look on her face she remembered him

_Uh-oh_.

***

"Sirius," whispered Lily. "That's one of them Slytherins. Get him out of here, please."

"Of course," Sirius whispered back. Louder he said, "So, are you a Slytherin?"

"Um...um...no?"

"Sounds like a question that doesn't need answering with a question to me," cut in Remus.

"Are you a Slytherin?" asked James, blocking the exit. "And did you make fun of Lily?"

Peter could see no other way for it: he had to tell the truth. "I'm not a Slytherin _yet_, but I want to be. It's the best house. Yes, I made fun of the Mudblood."

"Well," snarled James. "I think that it's time for you to learn what happens when you mess around with our friend."


	3. Chapter 3: That's a talking hat and

What happened with Peter Pettigrew was _not_a pretty sight. To avoid the sight, Lily buried her face in her Potions book, trying not to laugh when Peter fled the carriage in terror, squealing.

"Sorry I let him go in there," James said to her as they pulled the train door shut when they reached Hogwarts Station. "The compartment, I mean. I should have thought-"

"Shut up, James," Lily laughed. "You didn't know. I'm just happy I have good friends." She hugged him. "Your hair is all spiky," she said into his shoulder.

"Sorry," he laughed. "It's a Potter trait."

"I hate to think what your kid is going to look like," mumbled Lily.

"They're going to look like me, but with your eyes," James declared loudly, causing a nearby Hufflepuff to laugh. Lily blushed. "Let's get to the boats," she murmured.

"Uh oh," said Sirius. "You didn't deny it. He's going to be unstoppable."

"At least Hogwarts will be interesting," mused Remus.

"It's a magic school!" protested Lily. "What wouldn't be interesting?"

"Potions, maybe Transfiguration," answered James.

"My cousin Andromeda said that Charms is fun," supplied Sirius as they boarded a boat and all the first years set off. The four sat in a comfortable silence then heard Hagrid's (the half-giant who lead the first years across into the boats and across the water) voice call out, "Mind yer heads!" Everyone ducked except one boy who was knocked over backwards into the water and found everyone laughing when he pulled himself up back into the boats.

When they finally reached the castle all the new first years were awestruck at the sight of it, even James who had been claiming that he had seen so many pictures of it that it was like a second home to him.

They were greeted by a stern looking old woman ("Professor McGonagall," hissed Sirius to Lily) and Hagrid said proudly, "First Years, Professor."

"Thank you, Hagrid," McGonagall said and led them away. Lily turned to wave to Hagrid and he smiled back at her. She made a mental note to visit him once she'd been sorted.

_It's the first thing I'll do_, she thought.

"Wait here," McGonagall said as she showed the first years into a little room to the side of two big doors. "And try and make yourselves presentable," she added while looking directly at James, then left. His response was to ruffle his hair up even more. A few minutes later she returned and the students were led through the doors.

Lily gasped.

They were in the biggest hall she had ever seen, with a ceiling that reflected the sky outside and four tables filled with students. At the end of the hall were a table with all the members of staff and four hourglasses that had gold, red, blue and green precious stones in them.

Sirius smiled at a girl sitting at the Slytherin table but glowered at two more. Lily saw the prefect who had come in their compartment sitting at the Slytherin table too.

Remus nudged her and pointed towards a stool with a hat on it.

"What's so special about it?" asked Lily...and then it started singing.

_In all your days of living  
I doubt that you will see  
Another hat that can talk  
Just as much as me.  
Yes, I can see inside your mind  
A useful little trick  
So I can tell you were you will be placed:  
With cunning, fairness, brave or wit.  
Should be put in Gryffindor  
For in this house, you'll see  
Some courage and some bravery  
Are things to take to heart.  
Or might you be in Slytherin,  
Gryffindor's mutual foe?  
Where cunning and sneakiness  
Lay down the road you will go.  
Perhaps you be in Hufflepuff,  
The fairest house indeed.  
Where loyalty and fairness  
Are thought of a great deed.  
But then, of course, there's Ravenclaw  
For those who want to learn.  
And there what is important  
Are grades and what you earn.  
But do not think you can decide  
It's what is in your head  
That will put you  
Where you will abide._

"Ready to go, Lil?" asked James as the first name was called out.

"What?" she asked back.

"All you have to do is try the hat on," explained Remus. "See?" He pointed at the front again just as "Dickins, Grace" was called out and proclaimed a Gryffindor. "Quite simple. Not scary at all."

Lily looked at him. "That's a talking hat and you aren't the slightest bit creeped out? Are you mental?"

"'Course not," smiled James. "And you have no time to be creeped – it's your turn."

"Good luck," whispered Sirius when McGonagall called out, "Evans, Lily" and Lily walked up to the stool to put the hat on.

"Hello," said Lily in her mind.


	4. Chapter 4: Lily's sorting

**Disclaimer: I own only the plot. J.K. Rowling owns pretty much everything else, other than Grace. She owns herself.**

Chapter Four: Lily's sorting

_Lily_

_Hat_

Lily took one last look around the hall before the hat slipped onto her head and her view was blocked.

_Hello, Miss. Evans._

_Oh my God, a talking hat! _Lily's pulse sped up.

_I heard that, Miss. Evans. _The hat sounded bored.

_Oops. Sorry, Mr...er...Hat?_

_Lovely. Now onto business. Where to put you?_

_Gryffindor would work._

_Are you trying to tell me where to put you?_

_Of course not, Mr. Hat. I was purely suggesting Gryffindor would be a good place to put me._

_Of course, Miss Evans. Yes Gryffindor _would _prove to be a good place to put you...but Ravenclaw may work as well... _

_Please put me in Gryffindor. I'm begging you!_

_Do you hate Ravenclaw that much, Miss. Evans?_

_No. Anywhere put Slytherin would be good...just hinting here. But Gryffindor would be _excellent_!_

_You could do well in Ravenclaw..._

_No._

_OK then, you'll do well in both...just reign Mr. Black and Mr. Potter in a bit, will you..._

_As long as you put me in Gryffindor..._

_Alright then, better be..._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily sighed with relief and went to the Gryffindor table, opposite a girl with dark hair and thick eyebrows.

"Hi," Lily whispered. "I'm..."

"Lily Evans," the girl smiled back. "I remember. Grace Dickins, in case you didn't."

Lily blushed. "Sorry."

"No problem," Grace smiled. "But we should really listen to the sorting..."

"Yeah, probably." Lily and Grace turned to the sorting to hear the list carrying on. James looked at Lily and mouthed, "I'm hungry." She burst into giggles and James grinned again.

_Yeah,_ thought Lily, _I think I'll like Hogwarts_.


	5. Chapter 5: Lily's problem

Lily's problem

James, Sirius and Remus were all put in Gryffindor with Lily, all happy about their placements but Sirius looked a bit nervous, and he kept glancing at the three girls at the Slytherin table, two looked angry, one looked sad.

Much to Lily's dismay, Peter Pettigrew had also been put into Gryffindor.

Lily had quickly made friends with Grace and another girl named Isabella but who liked to be called Issy. She had chestnut coloured hair and blue-green eyes.

James was the first to grab the food when it appeared, but after a look from Lily he handed her the spoon to the potatoes and let the girls be served first.

"So," said Sirius tried to say, "who likes being in Gryffindor?" But it came out as, "Tho who thikes bwin Grythendol?" because of his mouth being full. Grace laughed and Issy said, "Disgusting." Lily whacked him on the arm. Sirius swallowed his mouthful and repeated what he said first.

"Me," said James loudly.

"Me." Remus.

"Me." Lily.

"Me." Issy

"Me." Grace

The new first years met another new girl called Alice; she had blonde hair and blue eyes and was quite podgy. Lily instantly liked her even though she didn't talk much. Issy and Grace seemed to hit it off well and soon seemed to be best friends. Remus also got on well with Issy, while Sirius seemed to be trying to impress Grace with his jokes. It seemed to be working.

Even though she was having a great time with her new friends, Lily couldn't help but look at Snape over at the Slytherin table.

He looked proud to be sat there. As if feeling her gaze, he looked up at sneered at her.

Lily looked away from him. She felt slightly sad but at the same time she didn't care. She had her new friends now, but Severus _had _been her first friend _and _the one to tell her about magic...but he had turned her sister against her by making her seem stupid compared to Lily. She looked back, met his gaze and tossed her hair at him. He only laughed and turned away.

Lily turned back to Grace who had just said something.

"Lily? LILY!" Grace yelled.

"Sorry, what?" Lily asked.

"I asked if your parents were magical too."

"No, I'm Muggleborn." _But some people call me Mudblood. _"What about you?"

"Half and half," Grace said proudly. "My dad's the magical one. My mum didn't know until I levitated a tea cup that anyone in our family was magical. A bit of a shock for her when she found out, you know. Dad took a picture of her face!" Grace laughed. Lily laughed too, but it was fake.

"Oh no," Grace sighed. "What's wrong? Tell me, Lily."

"You see that guy over there at the Slytherin table with the greasy hair? That's Severus Snape and he was my friend. But he called me a Mudblood – yes I do know what it means – and we stopped being friends. He doesn't care and neither do I! But he was my first friend and I kind of miss him. But I don't at the same time. Does that make sense?"

"No," said Grace. "But that's the reason I wasn't put in Ravenclaw. They might be able to help you with your problem."

"But I don't know anybody in Ravenclaw," Lily protested as Grace pulled her up and over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Luckily for you I know three people then," Grace commented drily. When they reached it, Grace sat down next to three girls and said, "Lily, this is Annelise, Holly and Anna. Guys, this is Lily. She has a problem she needs sorting out."


	6. Chapter 6: Holly, Annelise and Anna

Six: Holly, Annelise and Anna

**They'll kill me if I don't put this: Annelise, Anna, Holly, Myrran, Grace and Issy are all real people and own their own lives and their characters. **

**Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. **

**The plot is mine.**

**p.s. I changed** **the sorting hat's song! Its the best I could do.**

Holly was a thin blonde with slightly crooked teeth and a big smile. Annelise had brown hair dyed blonde and Anna was a blonde with blue eyes who was reading a book. After introducing them all, Grace left and stopped at the Hufflepuff table to talk to a girl with tanned skin and black hair.

"Who is that?" asked Lily pointing at the girl.

"That's Myrran," Annelise said. "She's Holly's friend from primary school. She and Grace met on the train. I know Grace I live near her and we met again on the train. I had no idea she was magical until I saw her. Holly was with Myrran, so we met them and Anna just happened to come along."

"What's the problem?" asked Anna.

"Well, before I even knew about Hogwarts, I was doing magic," Lily explained. "I didn't know it was magic but I was doing it anyway. And then this boy, Severus Snape –"

"At the Slytherin table?" interrupted Holly.

"Yeah, that's him. Anyway, he told me all about what I was and he was my first friend. But then on the train James said something I found funny but he didn't and he called me a Mudblood." The three Ravenclaws gasped. "So now we aren't friends and I sort of miss him. But I don't at the same time. Make sense?"

"Yes," said Annelise. "But I have no idea how you will fix it. Sorry."

Anna shrugged. "I don't know, I'm sorry. I'm more book smart."

Holly grinned. "I know! You miss him because he was your first friend but you don't miss him because he was mean to you and called you a horrible name. I'm right, aren't I?"

"I think so..."

"And you can solve this trouble easily! All you need to do is get _closure_."

"Closure?"

"Yep. Closure. When you break up it's what you get to move on and it's what you need. Here's what you do. You go up to him and say, 'Severus Snape, I no longer like you. I don't want to be your friend at all and this is the last time I will speak to you optionally!'" Holly sat back with a triumphant look on her face. "Like it?"

"Um..."

"You doubt my skills," commented Holly as she took some potatoes. "You do, don't you?"

"No!" said Lily hurriedly. She didn't want to cause the Ravenclaws to hate her. "I just don't know how I'll do it."

"Call him over?" suggested Annelise.

"How?"

"Like this," she said and faced the Slytherin table, stood up and yelled, "OI! SNAPE! OVER HERE!" Snape looked up, turned very embarrassed and looked down again.

"Just more subtly," added Anna. "Corner him after the feast. With friends, of course. Don't even think about doing it alone! Those Slytherins'll have you for breakfast."

"Thanks," said Lily and she stood up to go back to the Gryffindor table. "You've helped a lot. Bye."

"Bye," chorused the Ravenclaws and Holly yelled after her, "Remember: CLOSURE!"

"Got it," Lily shouted back.

"So," asked Grace as soon as Lily sat down, "did they help?"

"I have to get 'closure' apparently," Lily told her. "That's telling Snape I don't want to be his friend any more. I have to corner him after the feast."

"Don't worry, Lily," James chimed in. "I'll help."

"And me," added Remus.

"Me too!" yelled Sirius, far too loudly.

"I will," said Issy.

"Goes without saying," smiled Grace.

"I'll help," Alice said quietly.

"Thanks guys!" Lily grinned. "But how are we going to do it?"

"Don't worry about that!" exclaimed Sirius in a dramatic voice. "_I _have a cunning plan!" He pointed his hand straight in the air and then spun it round wildly to catch everyone's attention. "Be prepared, students of Hogwarts! Sirius Black has arrived and he will unleash his awesomeness on all of you! HA!"

"Shut up and sit down, Sirius," said James. "Nobody really cares."

Sirius sat down with a dejected look on his face.


	7. Chapter 7: Closure

Seven: Closure

**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nothings mine except the plot.**

"Lily, relax," Remus told her. "Eat some potatoes."

"Can't eat potatoes when I'm this nervous!" she snapped at him.

"Carrots?"

"I won't eat."

"Then desperate times call for desperate measures," sighed Remus. He picked up a fork and dug some potatoes in it. "Someone hold her mouth open. I'm going in."

The Gryffindors laughed. Lily scowled.

"Come on, Lily," Alice said quietly. "Worrying like this won't help. It'll be like taking a plaster off if you just do it: painful, but quick. Eating will help. Like before Quidditch games: everyone's nervous but they eat so they can actually go through with the match and not pass out halfway through. You need to eat to get through this whole closure thing. Understand?"

Lily nodded mutely. James carried on. "This is your first ever feast at Hogwarts, don't spoil it by worrying about _that _piece of slime over there!"

"He's a git," added Issy.

"Eat, Lily!" screamed Sirius, in a typically Sirius fashion. "GOD DAMN IT! EAT!!"

Lily giggled and picked up a fork. "Thank you, guys," she murmured quietly and then started to eat.

***

"Lily," Issy instructed. "Human's need to breathe. So breathe!"

"Not helping," Lily hissed as they all stood outside the hall waiting for Snape to come along. They had been standing there for about 10 minutes when Sirius yelled, "THERE HE IS!" and tackled him to the floor. With a lot of resistance, Snape was dragged along the floor towards Lily, Grace, Issy and Alice. It took James, Sirius, Remus and a passing third year Hufflepuff who was offered 3 Galleons for his services.

"It's now or never, Lil," James muttered when he finally reached the girls, Snape in tow.

"I know that, James," Lily growled at him.

"Just sayin'," he whispered and then flung Snape at her.

"What do you want?" he sneered at her.

Lily took a deep breath and repeated exactly what Holly had told her, "Severus Snape, I no longer like you. I don't want to be your friend at all and this is the last time I will speak to you optionally!" She paused. "Or something like that, anyway..." she trailed off.

"Is that all?" Snape asked.

"Yes, Snivellus," Lily sighed. "That's all."

The Gryffindors laughed and Snape glowered. "Then I'll be going," Snape said, turned on his heel and stormed off.

"Snivellus..." Sirius said dreamily. "I like it..."

"Feel better, Lily?" Issy asked kindly.

Lily grinned. "Much!"

"Knew there was a reason Holly was put in Ravenclaw," Grace chirped. "I have smart friends!" She looked at the boys. "And then I have Sirius."

"Hey!"


	8. Chapter 8: Staircases

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine at all. **

**For Issy (who got me writing and is enjoying slush in Switzerland, I think) and Gracie, the hidden Cullen.**

Eight: Staircases

Lily beamed at all her friends. She felt better now that she had Snape sorted out and her friends were congratulating her at her closure speech. And Sirius, who was still laughing about calling Snape Snivellus, was also congratulating her on her 'amazing name-coming-up-with'.

And then Remus spoke in a worried voice. "Er...guys?"

"Yes, Remus?" James asked.

"Does anyone actually know where the Gryffindor common room is?" Lily, Grace, Issy, Alice and James all looked at each other, but Sirius laughed.

"Remus, my friend," he chuckled. "We don't know yet, remember? That's what the _prefect _is for." He looked around. "Now, where's the prefect?"

"Gone!" exclaimed Lily. "That's what Remus was trying to say!"

"Well he wasn't very clear!" Sirius said back at her with a pout on his face.

"We all thought he was ver-" Lily was cut off by Issy.

"That's not the issue here, people! The issue is that we don't know where the Gryffindor common room is!"

James piped up after a few moments of silence. "My dad told me it was a tower, on the seventh floor is where he said the entrance was."

"See?" Sirius huffed. "No problem _whatsoever!" _

"Sirius," Grace reasoned. "Even though we know where it is, we don't know the password to get into it."

"Um..." Sirius seemed lost for words and everyone enjoyed the silence, until: "I HAVE IT!" Sirius turned to James. "Where exactly did he say it was?"

"I can't remember, only that the Fat Lady guards it..."

"OK THEN!"

"Sirius!" Lily snapped. "Stop yelling!"

"NEVER!"

"Please, Sirius?" Grace asked him.

Sirius looked at her. "Oh, alright then. But come on, we don't have all day!" He ran towards the steps and up the first flight when they came to a portrait. "Hello, my good sir," he began. Everyone else started laughing until a glare from Sirius came their way and they shut up. He carried on, "Do you know where the Fat Lady is located?"

The portrait looked at him. "You're that Black boy. The one in Gryffindor, aren't you? Everyone was talking about you." A moments silence, then, "The Fat Lady is at the very top of these steps. You should hurry, you may catch up with the others..." The portrait didn't finish his sentence before all seven of them bounded up the stairs to the fifth floor.

"Quick!" yelled Sirius. "I see the prefect!" They ran up another flight before they met up with the other Gryffindors heading towards the portrait."

Everyone slowed down and soon were all gazing in different directions. Alice was watching the many students make their way to their own common rooms; James was looking at the moving staircases with Grace, pointing out ones that moved to her; Sirius was gazing at the floor that seemed so far away now; Issy was looking in totally the opposite direction, towards the ceiling, muttering, "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down" over and over; Remus kept his eye on the prefect, making sure he wasn't going to lose him again and Lily was smiling at the pictures on the walls.

"Good evening," one said to her and she jumped. "A Muggleborn, I see. Enjoy your time at Hogwarts!"

"I will!" Lily called back.

The Gryffindors made their way up to the Fat Lady in complete silence. When they reached her, the prefect turned to them all and said, "Remember the password. If you don't, you'll be locked out." Then he turned to the portrait and said, "_Quaddle bird_." She smiled and swung open. Lily gasped as she went in. It was perfect.

There was a fire going and chess boards by the window. Gryffindor hangings were on each staircase and the prefect directed the girls to one and the boys to the other. There were armchairs everywhere and around the fire there was a sofa with worn edges and cushions. Lily beamed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" murmured James in her ear.

"Very," Lily whispered back. "Very beautiful indeed."


	9. Chapter 9: Spiders and Frank

Nine: Spiders

Sirius, Lily, James, Remus, Issy and Grace were all sitting round the fire in the Gryffindor common room, Alice had gone to check out the dormitories and unpack her clothes. Nobody was speaking but it was a comfortable silence. And then, there was a piercing scream and Alice came hurtling down the stairs, hyperventilating.

"Alice, what's wrong?" asked Lily, concerned.

Alice squeaked something unintelligible.

"What?" asked James.

Alice squeaked again.

"SPEAK IN ENGLISH!" yelled Sirius. "Ow!" Grace had elbowed him in the arm.

Alice took a deep breath. "Spider."

"Spider?" snorted James.

Alice glared at him. "It's huge! And hairy! And I have arachnophobia."

"A what?" asked Sirius.

Issy sighed. "It means fear of spiders."

"Then why didn't she just _say _that?" huffed Sirius and he collapsed onto the sofa.

"Someone get rid of it!" Alice whined. "It's scary!"

"I'll do it," volunteered a second year. He walked over to Lily. "Can I have your book?" Lily gave it to him. For no apparent reason, James began screaming.

"What the hell, James?" asked Remus.

"That's – that's – that's – the book!" James gasped. "Keep it away from me!"

"The book?" questioned Issy.

James looked at her. "Yes. My mum won't stop talking about it. She made me read it! It was _horrible_."

The second year looked at him with an amused look on his face then he looked back at Lily. "Thanks." He went to the girls' staircase and went up the first few steps before it turned into a slide and he slid to the bottom to the laughter of the common room. "Ow."

"Lift him up," suggested someone.

A couple of Gryffindors got out their wands and muttered, "_Wingardium Leviosa_" and the second year was floating in the air. He made a grab for the top of the wall at the top of the staircase and got a hold. Swinging himself up, he managed to get to the entrance of the dormitory, smiled at the cheering common room and walked into the dormitory.

"MERLIN, THAT'S HUGE!!" was heard, followed by a large bang and the second year walked out of the dormitory; Lily's book had a black smudge on it.

"You can keep the book!" she called as the second year slid down the stairs and landed at the bottom.

"Thanks," he replied. He put the book down and walked over to Alice. "Problem solved. I'm Frank Longbottom by the way."

Alice blushed. "Alice. I'm new."

Frank smiled at her and walked back to his friends. Alice sat down on the floor next to the fire. Sirius leant towards her and whispered, "So...spiders, hey?"


	10. Chapter 10: Dormitory fights,sofas an

Ten: Dormitory fights, sofas and a lost wand

"Shut up!" Lily could hear Issy snapping at Alice's muttering. "We're only covering the levitation spell, it isn't that tricky!"

"There's nothing wrong with being prepared," hissed Alice in retaliation.

"We're not in Ravenclaw for God's sake! You don't need to have memorised the ENTIRE CHARM'S BOOK by tomorrow morning!" _Oh no_, Lily thought, _Grace has joined the argument_.

Lily covered her ears with her pillow and tried to get to sleep. But her new friends were too loud.

"JUST BE QUIET!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"SHUT UP!" Lily could have screamed when the other first year girl (whose name Lily couldn't remember) joined in.

"_You _stay out of it," Issy snapped at the newcomer.

"That's it," Lily muttered. "I'm off." She rolled off the bed and grabbed her pillow and duvet and headed downstairs. "Bye," she called to the dormitory.

"YES!" "NO!" "SHUT UP!" and "I'M PRACTISING!" was the reply.

Lily trudged downstairs and settled herself down on the sofa. She wrapped her duvet round her and drifted off to sleep.

***

James thundered down the stairs, followed by Sirius, both laughing loudly. They started to head towards the portrait hole with the other Gryffindors, ducking between two seventh years and running out of sight.

Alice skipped happily down the stairs muttering the levitation charm over and over and over under her breath and a bruised cheek; Issy followed with a cut lip and a scowl on her face while Grace slid down the rail with a black eye, looking more cheerful than she should have been.

Alice leant over the edge of the sofa and whispered, "Lily! Wake up!" She paused. No response. "LILY!"

With a shriek, Lily fell off the sofa and landed with a thump on the floor. She glared up at Alice, who was laughing and climbed up.

"Not funny."

"Very funny," Grace laughed in the background.

"Let's just get to breakfast," Lily growled.

"You may wanted to get dressed first," Issy hinted handily. Lily growled again and stalked back to the dormitory.

***

"Lily! OI, LILY!"

"Hey guys!" Lily paused to let her two Ravenclaw friends catch up with her. "Where's Anna?"

"Somewhere," Annelise waved a hand casually. "Breakfast, probably. It's where everyone else seems to be, anyway."

Holly nodded and sniffed.

"Looking forward to Charms? I can't wait to use my wand!" Lily grinned. To her surprise, Holly burst into tears. "What?"

Annelise leant in and whispered, "Someone's nicked her wand; we searched all over Ravenclaw tower, it's not there."

"I'm sorry," Lily blushed and opened the doors to the Great Hall.

"It's not _your _fault," Holly snivelled. "You didn't take it. You were in Gryffindor tower."

"Yeah," Annelise chimed in. "All the way in another tower. It had to have been a Ravenclaw. Mean though."

"Very," Lily agreed. "But I want to thank you for the closure idea. Where did you get it from?"

"Sleepover. I was on a sugar rush; couldn't sleep. Nothing to read but magazines and pregnancy books. Bye!" They wandered off to their separate tables.

"Hey, Lily," greeted James. "There you are!"

"The others left without me," she sat down next to him.

"Lils," Issy asked. "Why were you on the sofa?"


	11. AN: Virus

Hi.

Sorry but this virus keeps coming back to my computer and my parents think it may be from this website so I'm not allowed on it anymore.

This means I can't continue Lily's decision.

Sorry again.

GSS


	12. Chapter 11: BreakFast

**Hi Guys, well im HermioneGrangersTwin, im GinnySecretsSisters unbiological twin. Hehe. So my computer is still very happy with which is obviously a good thing **** so I thought I'd just say hi on behalf of me and Izz. Id love to have so R&R!!!! I love this chapter even though its a bit odd **** keep subscribing 2 Ginny's Secret Sister, mybe check out some of my books????? **** please R&R. Issy**

Eleven: Breakfast

"Pass the toast."

"Pass the toast, what?"

Sirius growled. "Pass the toast NOW!"

"Oooo," James sighed. "I'm sorry. That's the wrong answer." He gave the toast to Grace. "Here you are."

"NO!" cried Sirius. "DON'T EAT THAT TOAST!"

Grace looked at it. "This toast?"

"YES! THIS TOAST!"

"_That _toast," Alice corrected.

"Fine..." Sirius sighed. "YES! THAT TOAST!"

"Hmmm." Grace looked at it. "I don't know, I'm quite hungry..."

"NO!" Sirius groaned. "I'll do anything! I promise!"

"Anything, hey?"

"Definitely."

"Well then," Grace smiled. "If you really want this piece of toast, you'll have to do me five favours from now to the day you die."

"Fine, just give me the toast!"

Grace tossed it to him.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked Issy who was frantically scribbling something down.

"Marking this moment so Sirius can't say it never happened," she replied.

"Oh," Alice said. "Good idea."

James was glaring at Sirius. "I can't believe you gave it to him," he hissed. "After all I went through..."

"You picked it up and gave it to me. That's hardly a lot of effort."

"It was a LOT of effort," James snapped. "And it was wasted." He shook his head in mock-disgust. "I thought you were my friend."

"I _am _your friend," Grace insisted.

"Doesn't look like it." James scowled. Sirius was still scoffing down the toast unaware that things were going on around him that was actually his fault.

"Look, I'm sorry," Grace said. "If you want you can have two of my favours. I get three, you get two. Happy now?" James nodded. Issy looked up.

"What?" she cried. "Spiky head gets one? I want one!"

"Technically Spiky head gets two," Lily muttered.

"TWO?" Issy shrieked. "That's even more than one! No fair!"

"Calm down," Remus said. "It doesn't matter. If it's that important to you, you can have two favours that I owe you."

"Awesome."

"What about me?" whined Alice. "I want favours!"

"If everyone else if getting favours I want favours as well!" Lily said. Grace sighed.

"OK," she said. "Sirius owes me three favours and James two. Remus owes Issy two favours. Lets say that James owes Lily two favours and Alice...um, I owe Alice two favours. Everyone happy?"

"Sirius doesn't have anyone that owes him favours," pointed out Remus.

"Yeah, and Remus doesn't have anyone who owes him favours either," agreed Issy.

"OK, redo." Grace jotted down her list. "So now Alice owes Remus two favours and, er, Sirius is owed favours by..." She stopped and bit her lip "...by Lily. Good?"

"AH!" screamed Sirius. "Too much information!" He jumped up and ran from the hall, eyes of the students and teachers on him. There was a moment of silence and then everyone went back to eating and chatting.

From the Ravenclaw table, Lily just heard Holly say (probably louder than she wanted to), "What an idiot."

Sirius' head popped round the door. "Hey! I resent that." It disappeared again. There was another moment of shocked silence before everything carried on as normal.

"Weird," sang James and helped himself to another piece of toast.


	13. Chapter 12: Umit was in my shoe

Chapter Twelve: Um...it was in my shoe.

**Grace and Issy, sorry I made you both kind of stroppy **

"Ow, ow, ow," Sirius muttered. "I told you it was a bad idea to take a shortcut," he growled at Remus.

"No," sighed Remus. "_I _told _you _it was a bad idea to take a shortcut."

"Remus, please, do these little things really matter?"

"Yes."

"Really?" Sirius asked surprised.

"Yes. Particularly if they involve running into sixth year Slytherins and getting cursed in pretty much every place possible."

"But not below the belt," Sirius grinned, holding his hand up for a high five. He winced. "Lifting hand. Not best idea ever."

"Wow," Remus muttered. "You really are that dumb."

Sirius carried on walking. Remus stopped and looked around. He saw his friends lining up against a wall and called to Sirius, "I think we're here!"

"No no!" replied Sirius. "We have to walk a bit more." He rounded a corner. Remus stayed where he was.

"Idiot." He turned into the Charms corridor. "Well, at least _I _won't be late."

"It's the first day of school," hissed Grace. "And that idiot can't even show up on time."

"Technically it's the second day," corrected Lily. "And why do you care?"

Grace bristled. "I don't. I just wanted us all to be here to document the moment."

"Suuure." James rocked backwards on his heels as he spoke.

"Shut it, spiky."

"Don't call me spiky!"

"Don't 'suuure' me. Anyway," Grace turned to Lily, "why weren't you placed in Ravenclaw?

"You're changing the subject."

"I am NOT!" whined Grace.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," said Issy. "He's just lost or – oh, here he comes."

Sirius had rounded the corner, walking casually. "Hey, guys," he said once he reached them. "What's going on?"

Grace glared at him. "_What's going on?_" she hissed. "_What's going on? _Is that all you can say? Not even an apology or ANYTHING?"

"For what?"

"For not coming with me – I mean us!" Grace screamed. Many students had now turned to watch. "You said you would!"

"I'm sorry, I think..." Sirius looked round for help.

"Of course, you _think_," Grace snarled. "But you don't think, do you?"

"Um...no?"

"That's right. No."

"I'm really sorry..." Sirius stepped back at Grace's glower. "I'm sorry for...er...whatever I did. Yeah, I'm sorry for whatever I did," he finished proudly.

"Really?" Grace raised her eyebrows.

"Yes," replied Sirius. "Really." Sirius smiled.

"Well that's great," Grace said sweetly. Then her tone went cold and she said, "Just one question: what did you do?"

Sirius stopped smiling. His grin slid off his face. "I...I don't know."

"Come on," hissed Issy under her breath. "She said it like five minutes ago!"

"Not even five minutes," Remus pointed out.

"Come _on_, Sirius!" whispered Alice.

"You can do it, buddy!" cheered James. Grace silenced them all with a look.

"Well?" she asked. "What was it that you were apologising for?"

"I can't remember," whined Sirius. Everyone else sucked in a breath.

"Wrong answer, mate," muttered a random Ravenclaw boy. "You should not have said that." Annelise appeared from behind him and yanked him back.

"Leave the mad Gryffindor to it," she said. "Don't interfere."

"Yes. Leave the mad Gryffindor to it, guys." James backed away. "Let's go." Issy, Remus and Alice followed.

Lily looked away. She didn't really want to see what Grace was yelling at Sirius but it didn't sound nice. Looking for a distraction, she saw Holly standing next to Annelise and the random Ravenclaw student.

"Hey," she smiled. "Did you find your wand?"

"Um, yes."

"Where was it?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yeah, Holly," smiled Annelise. "Where was your wand?"

Holly glared at her.

"Well?" Annelise prompted. Holly mumbled something. "What was that?"

Holly blushed. "Um...it was in my shoe."

"Your _shoe_?" Lily laughed. Before Holly could respond, Professor Flitwick called them into class and Lily followed the line into the room.

"Wingardium Leviosa." Alice's feather levitated perfectly for the fifth time. "Wingardium Leviosa."

"Show off," muttered Grace. Her feather was staying firmly on the desk.

"Well if you had practised you may be able to do it too," replied Alice. "Wingardium Leviosa."

"Seven times. _Seven,_" Issy muttered under her breath. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Her feather lifted in the air for a few seconds. "AH! I DID IT!" she shrieked. Everyone's eyes turned to her.

"Well done, Miss Gordon," Flitwick said. "Now, if we could all do it with that much enthusiasm then maybe everyone's feathers will lift."

"Nice," muttered James. "Enthusiasm. That would be easier to do if my feather would actually _lift_!"

"Deep breaths," Lily said. "Wingardium Levios-ow!" She looked around. "Sirius! You aren't supposed to levitate your books!"

"Sorry."

"Idiot," muttered Grace.

"I said I was sorry!" protested Sirius. "Wingardium Leviosa! Oops. Sorry, Lily."

Lily rubbed the back of her head. "Try pointing your wand at the feather this time."

"Gotcha. Feather. Right."

"Wingardium Leviosa," came Alice's smug tone.

"She's on ten now," Issy informed them.

"I haven't done it once!" complained Grace.

"I've done it once," James said.

"Three times." Remus levitated his feather. "Make that four."

"I've levitated my books twice," said Sirius. "Does that count?" Grace shook her head.

"Lily, how about you?" asked Issy. She stuck the top of her tongue through her teeth in concentration.

"Just a second..." Lily pointed her wand at her feather. "Wingardium Leviosa. That's once."

"Ha," laughed Alice. "I'm on fifteen now. OW!" Sirius had hit her on the head with a book.

"That's for gloating," replied Sirius, floating his book back.

The class finished, with homework being practising the charm ("Except those who managed to levitate their feather more than ten times," Flitwick said. The Ravenclaws and Alice grinned), and the Gryffindors made their way to Transfiguration, Grace holding Sirius's arm tightly so he wouldn't go off again.

"This pencil won't change!" hissed Alice. They were in the Transfiguration room trying to change a pencil into a pen.

"Neither will mine but it makes a great weapon," Sirius said. "Look. Wingardium Leviosa!" He levitated the pencil and made it zoom forward. It hit Peter Pettigrew in the back of the head. "YES!" Sirius cheered.

"Detention, Mr Black," said Professor McGonagall. "We do not attack other students here."

"_You _don't, _I _do."

"Shut up," sighed Grace. "Just shut up."

They worked in silence for a bit more. James had successfully changed his pencil in a pen and back again at least five times whereas Alice had only made it roll off the desk.

"OK, how are you doing that?" she cried when Lily managed to make her pencil become a pen.

"Deep breaths."

"Well there's no need to be sarcastic."

"I disagree," Sirius butted in. "I think there is every need to be sarcastic. Ouch." Grace grabbed his ear and yanked him back. "So you haven't forgiven me for being late to Charms then?"

"Not even slightly."

James, Remus and Issy had been working quietly until this point when Issy snorted and Remus barked a laugh. James still carried on working. Sirius glared at Issy. "I'm sorry, is there something you find funny?" he asked.

"Leave her alone," said Remus. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"She laughed at me!" protested Sirius.

"So did I!"

"Yeah, but _you're _my friend," Sirius sighed. "I thought it was obvious."

"EXCUSE ME?" shrieked Issy.

"Be quiet, Miss Gordon!" McGonagall said loudly. Issy was too angry to notice.

"I'm not your friend now?"

"That's not what I meant!" Sirius protested helplessly. "I just meant that Remus was my friend first."

"You said I wasn't your friend! I thought you were nice! I thought we WERE friends!"

"I'm sor-"

"Save it!" Issy screamed. "I don't care!"

"Miss Gordon, if you don't quiet done I'm going to have put you in detention." Issy ignored McGonagall.

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?"

"Miss Gordon!" Issy heard that one. She turned her head to face McGonagall. "You will serve a detention with Mr Black. I will see you both after class."

Issy sat back in her seat. She glared at Sirius. "I blame you."

"I blame me too," Sirius said glumly.

"Face it, Sirius," said Remus. "We all blame you."

"I don't," said Alice. Her pencil was slowly being more pen like.

"Aw!" Sirius leaned across the desk and gave her a massive hug. Her pencil reverted back to its original form.

"_Now_ I blame you."

"Great." Sirius sat back in his seat. "All my friends hate me."

"All your friends and Issy," Issy corrected. "You did say I wasn't your friend, right?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Sirius howled just as McGonagall dismissed the class. Issy walked up to the desk and Sirius followed.

"I want to see you both at eight in this room," the teacher told them.

"Yes, Professor," they chanted. McGonagall dismissed them. As soon as they were out of the classroom, Issy sped up to walk with some Hufflepuffs she knew. There was an awkward silence among the rest of the group.

"So..." James tried but couldn't think of anything to finish the thought.

"Did Holly find her wand?" asked Grace, desperate for conversation.

"Yeah," replied Lily gratefully. "She said it was in her shoe."

"Her shoe?"

"Yes. I thought it was weird too."

"That's beyond weird," James muttered. Sirius stayed silent when the others agreed with him.

Grace shrugged. "That's Holly for you."

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace!" cried a voice and suddenly Holly was hurtling towards them and Grace sighed.

"I was hoping she'd got over that stage. Yes, Holly?"

"Graaaaaace, my wand was in my shoe, can you believe it?"

"If it was anyone else then I would say no. Because it's you I'm going to say yes."

"Graaaaaace," protested Holly. "How could you?"

"Very easily," muttered Grace and walked off with Holly following her.

"I'm going to catch up with Issy," said Remus.

"Yeah, me too," said Sirius. "I have to say sorry." When they disappeared, it left Alice, James and Lily to walk back to the common room.

"He's never going to get her to forgive him," Alice said confidently.

"I give it a week," replied James.

"How much are you willing to bet?" asked Alice.

"_You _gamble?" asked James.

"Only a little bit," said Alice. "Anyway, what's your bet?"

"Ten Sickles," replied James.

"Done."

They shook hands.

"You guys are all idiots," muttered Lily. "It's going to be two weeks."

"It won't," protested James.

"It will."

"We'll see," said James smugly.

"Please?"

"No."

Issy and Sirius sat down at the table.

"It's been two weeks. Please can you two just make up," moaned Grace.

"If he says that I'm his friend," said Issy crossly.

"You haven't said she's your friend yet?" asked Lily. "I can't believe it."

"Fine," huffed Sirius. "Issy, you are my friend."

"OK, I forgive you," Issy said happily.

Lily turned smugly to Alice and James. "Told you it would be two weeks."


End file.
